493
by Quintaso
Summary: 493 Pokemon and I'm writing a one-shot for each one. I'm doing this because I need criticism, all opinions are accepted, plus characters and story ideas made by you. The rules of characters created by you are inside. Enjoy!
1. 001:Taking Chances

** 001 Bulbasaur"Taking Chances"**

Life couldn't get any better for Avani, a young Bulbasaur who spent her days lying among the tall grass, the large bulb on her blue back absorbing the precious sunlight as the lazy days went by. The surrounding Pokemon also snoozed in the summer heat, many resting in the ponds to cool off their thick fur coats or bare hides.

The breeze whipped across the field, the grass dancing in the wind and tickling Avani's nose. The Bulbasaur inhaled sharply and let out a ferocious sneeze, making a few curious eyes peer at her for a mere second before their heavy lids closed. Avani raised a paw and wiped her wrinkling nose, she then placed her chin back on the ground.

"I want that one, Professor Oak!" an excited voice declared. "The one with the spot on its forehead!"

_Oh great, is it that time of year again?_ Avani pondered, although not even bothering to see who was making such an irritating noise.

"Oh, uh, are you sure? Bulbasaurs are not very tame, most trainers have a hard time training them." This familiar voice was full of concern. "Perchance you would choose a different and more suitable one?"

"Nope. I've already made up my mind!"

Avani felt the sun's rays being blocked by an enormous figure, which caused her to glare directly at the ten year old. "What do you want?! I was_ napping_!" Avani growled, extremely annoyed.

"Ha ha! It's adorable!" he exclaimed.

After Avani blinked, her eyesight focused on a scrawny tan boy with huge gleaming red eyes and dark blue hair that stuck up in odd angles. Not very impressed, she stood up, stretching her stumpy legs, then snuggled back down with her back facing the bright-eyed male.

"Can I have it?" The boy turned torwards the Professor who only shrugged, unsure of this rash decision.

"Well actually, Bakari-"

"'_It_'?!" Avani repeated, enraged.

"I think she wants to come with me, too!" Bakari assumed.

"ARGH!" Avani leaped into the air, chomping onto the boy's scarf and pulled as hard as she could when she landed on the ground.

"Ugh!" Bakari choked, being forced onto the ground, face first, his gaping mouth full of dirt and pebbles.

Quite satisfied that Avani made her point clearly, she strutted off to a different part of the professor's habitat, leaving behind a petrified boy and a sighing old man.

~ * ~

The afternoon went by with the clouds soaring across the blue sky and Avani nestled next to a pond that was untouched by water-types. The Bulbasaur's out-stretched paw and picked up a small rock, she flicked it into the water and watched the pond's ripples travel across it until reaching the edge.

"Y'know, you can't stay here forever," a disappointed voice murmured, startling the grass Pokemon.

Avani stood up and turned around, seeing a fellow starter named Iro, he was one of the Charmanders that awaited a trainer to take them off into the world. She scoffed and laid back down in her chosen spot, ignoring his determined expression.

"There'll be a hard-headed person who will someday come along and choose you, but you won't be able to run away and hide." Iro sat down next to Avani, reaching around his back and grabbing his tail, and Iro stared fondly at the dancing fire.

"Since when did you become a psychic?" Avani questioned sarcasticly.

Iro rolled his blue eyes and let go of his tail which went back to its former position behind his back. "Quit being so stubborn or I am going to burn you!" he snapped.

"With what?! Your shabby tail-flame? You don't even learn a fire attack for another couple of levels, so don't browbeat me!" Avani laughed.

"I'm just saying you should give leaving here a chance. It won't be so bad, you should hear the tales the Pokemon who are staying here temporarily that have seen Kanto and other places. They say it was totally worth it even if they _did_ have idiotic trainers!" Iro encouraged.

"Bah! I am perfectly fine where I am, there is no need to run off into the sunset with a _human_," she spat. "Now could you leave me to my dreams?" The Bulbasaur inhaled deeply and let out a long, exhausted yawn.

Avani knew Iro was trying to be nice, he was known for his 'pep talks' when a friend seemed to have a problem, but Iro came along to help wether you desired it or not. This is what got on the grass-type's nerves; some Pokemon did _not_ know when to back off.

"I just want to make sure you'll always have options," Iro declared. "Besides, I got chosen by a _hot_ babe!" Iro purred haughtily. "So I'll be leaving soon. It was fun creating memories with you, Avani, and I hope you do decide to go out there so we can meet again."

"You're...leaving?" she murmured, having a hard time locking away her sadness and her shock.

"Well, yeah! We all go away at some point, it's just my turn, and that's kinda why I hoped you'd come also so we can travel near each other. But it is your decision, I shouldn't pressure you into something you despise," Iro explained, a hint of a smile on his disappointed expression. "And you know what's really cool? The old man managed to get the babe to nickname me my real name! What are the odds, huh?"

"Iro! We've gotta go or we'll be left behind!" a girl called from the lab.

"Well, I'll see you soon, Avani. Try not to break any more trainer's bones, got it?" the Charmander said.

"Um, sure. Will do," Avani agreed solemnly.

She watched the orange lizard scamper off in the direction of the eager 'hot babe' as he put it. Avani felt her stomach snarl then twist and turn even though she had filled up on berries not so long ago, but she very well knew hunger had no hand in the pain Avani was going through.

_Maybe I shouldn't judge humans so badly and just give someone a shot,_ Avani figured. _I suppose I could run away from them if they turn out to be a braindead Aipom._

~ * ~

As a few days rolled by like the beginning of summer usually did, more and more starters began being picked up by happy-go-lucky kids, but Avani remained in Pallet Town awaiting the one person who would be too stubborn to not leave without her. The Bulbasaur figured the one trainer best for her would be more hard-headed than herself, as in one that would never leave without the Bulbasaur, this way Avani would be one-hundred percent positive that they truly wanted her.

"It's the perfect plan!" Avani vaunted to herself, as she licked up fresh water into her parched throat from a large spring.

A willow tree's long branches shaded her from the hot sun; even grass-types needed a break from the dry heat. Squirtles, Mudkips, Totodiles, and Piplups all bathed in the cold pond. Avani was still growing used to having strange starters from other regions coming here so beginners could have more choices when picking out their first Pokemon, those 'Chikoritas' also stroke Avani as the wierdest looking grass-types ever. _I mean, what Pokemon has _leaves_ sticking out of their heads?_ the Bulbasaur had thought.

As the morning wore on Avani laid at the shore with her patience reducing to a fearful degree that when she made eye contact with a fellow starter they flinched and went back to focusing their attention to whatever they were doing previously. And one-by-one Avani watched humans and Pokemon leaving for a long and seemingly endless adventure; she started to feel jealousy beginning to blossom inside her.

"Bye, Avani, I'll be back soon so I can kick your butt!" a Torchic warned as he followed his new master. This particular fire-type was always getting into brawls with Avani, but since the old man didn't allow fighting among the Pokemon they never were able to see who would come out on top.

When the slightly cool morning shade turned into the warming afternoon, Avani began losing hope that there'd be no human that could possibly be more inexorable than she, so the Bulbasaur started to doze off until slipping into a dreamless nap.

~ * ~

Even though the sun had moved to where its rays should've beated down on Avani there was something shading her, the Bulbasaur took notice of this and desperately forced her eyes to peer open.

"Wow, you're a heavy sleeper, I've been sitting here for the past hour and you did not even budge once," a calm and gentle voice murmured in amusement.

Avani immediately leaped to her feet in surprize and backed away from the strange human. Her mouth fell slightly, her expression filled with shock then containing an odd look when she saw that the human had a big, goofy grin.

"Sorry that I scared you, you just slept so peacefully that I hadn't the heart to take you away from whatever you were dreaming about," the person said, their eyes sparkling with great envy.

The human was comfortable sitting on the hard ground next to Avani's napping place, the Bulbasaur saw that the human was dripping in sweat because they had been shading her from the sun.

Avani nervously stepped forward, but not without her cautious glance narrowing. "I suppose you are one of the newest additions to the so called 'Pokemon League' the old man keeps on yammering about when these days come?" Avani questioned.

"I'm truly sorry, but I cannot understand your language. I always wonder why your species continues to try and communicate with mankind when we only assume _what_ you're saying," the human sighed.

_Hmm, the person's got a point, why _do_ I even bother?_ the Bulbasaur pondered.

"You see, in April I turned the appropriate age to be allowed to be an official trainer, so I came here to gain a partner," the human explained. "I've been wandering around the habitat looking for a starter who'd want to come with me, and that is when I saw you sleeping so deeply."

_This person is real careful with words, call us 'partners' instead of 'my Pokemon', _Avani thought smugly. _So far so good, perhaps I misjudged mankind._

"I wish I could ask you for your name, it might make this conversation more better," the human stated.

"Well, what about your name?"

"Heh, by the puzzled look on your face I can only guess you want _my_ name."

Avani nodded, intrigued by the correct assumption.

"Well, my name is Hozat," he enlightened.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Yes, I featured someone I knew in this chapter because I'd like to let Hozat know you are not forgotten.**

**Want to be a character in one of the 493 one-shots? Give me the needed criticism I must have to improve my writing and you can be someone (no the main character) in a chapter. **

**You should atleast tell me your name, species (human or Pokemon, there are no pokemorphes), and personality. I'll deal with the rest and if you have any complaints on how I portray your character then the only thing you can do is suck it up.**

**~Quin.**


	2. 002:It Matters Not

**002 Ivysaur "It Matters Not "**

Being kept in a sphere really irritated me, but I would rather be in here than out there among the screaming crowds that awaited never-ending battles, plus in the lounge room the trainers' arguements never ceased. Their babbling of how many badges they have, how many Pokemon, how many ribbons and trophies, the whole thing was giving me a headache.

"I do not intend to partake in this useless discussion," a voice murmured with distaste. A voice that was greatly familiar to me, I could never mistake it with another's.

The tone always contained a calm feeling, never rising in volume nor bearing any detectable emotion. It was the owner of this voice that I called 'partner', which I'm glad he couldn't understand me or that would have probably tick him off. This particular human that I have been traveling with for the past few months have proved to be interesting, he was careful with fights and not taking a challenge that would be too easy for myself or any other member of our party. Of course with the overeager trainers that would not take 'no' for an answer and would demand a battle my partner's grave expression was enough to send them packing, which I loved to watch on the sidelines since it was funny how humans ran with their two legs (no offense to any two-legged Pokemon.)

"Heh, boy I hope I fight you. I've heard people speaking very highly of you all over in Johto," a female cooed softly. She seemed near, too near.

I heard the audience's roars, and someone stepped inside, their large boots making a considerable amount of noise against the wood flooring that had been put down.

"Rivalen and Delfinah, get out there in five minutes. Please review the rules before entering the arena if you haven't already," the person who had came in said, then he left.

Rivalen was the last name of my partner, I assumed 'Delfinah' belonged to the trainer he'd be fighting.

"Aww, I guess we _won't_ be fighting today," the female mumbled sadly, the one who was sitting next to where my container was kept.

Thank Arceus for that.

"And I guess I will have the honor of doing so. See you out there," called another, I wasn't able to tell what their gender was.

I felt my partner stand up and walk out of the lobby, following his challenger into the arena. The crowds applauded and cheered when the two humans strolled onto the field and took their places at the edge of the dome, leaving room for their chosen Pokemon to fight.

Okay, let me at 'em!

"Elric, do your best," my partner whispered, grasping my sphere and enlarging it into its regular form before releasing me from my 'prison.'

"Ha! Finally!" I shouted, full of relief that I was lastly out.

I focused my attention to the person who stood on the other side of the arena, I managed to see that it was a female human who seemed undoubting that she would win. I glanced over my shoulder to see the figure of my partner.

His first name was Jax, to his dismay, I rarely ever called him by that. He was taller than the average nineteen year old, his skin fairly pale, Jax's dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail, his icy blues eyes were fixed on his opponent. Since the weather was turning hot Jax wore a white sleeveless shirt, along with black jeans, and hiking boots fit for traveling.

I looked around at the yelling audience who had come from regions that I had never seen before. The arena was built on Slateport's huge beach, the bleachers had formed a circle for the battles to ensue. The lounge that the people who had signed up for the one-on-one tournament waited in a tent near the entrance to the stadium.

"And welcome folks to Slateport's one and only contest to see if a trainer can win the annual cup with a single Pokemon! I am Merfyn Ty here on this beautiful sunny day and, once again, welcoming you to Hoenn's proud Slateport City!" the announcer said over the speaker, his voice bomming in comparison to the ocean's crashing waves.

My feet sunk into the warm sand, seeing that the whole set up didn't include a canopy to shade the field from the sun. I smiled, hoping Jax would realize that this could give us an advantage.

I heard the people around us murmur and staring at me in awe.

"What an unusual Ivysaur."

"It's a shiny! My eyes have never had the pleasure of seeing one until now."

I smirked and held up my chin with plenty of self-regard; I was very proud of being one of the rare shiny Pokemon, but not as proud as my partner was. Everytime Jax whipped me out of my sphere he took in the moment, although he never did boast and kept an unblemished expression like always.

"Miss Delfinah is now deciding which fighter she will choose, Rivalen gave her the upper hand by sending out Ivysaur first, so the fine lady can see if she has a Pokemon who is good opposing his grass-type," Ty informed.

Jax liked to let his Pokemon out first; he always said it makes the battle more interesting and it's fun to fight against the odds. I couldn't blame him, it was exciting to see if I, or any of my teammates, could over-come our toughest foes.

I looked up at our opponent, she looked like she was full of confidence that she all ready had this fight in the bag. I kicked up some sand with one of my back legs as if telling 'Delfinah' to not think so full of herself.

The girl was a bit shorter than Jax, with dark skin and hazel eyes that glimmered with determination. She wore purple capri pants and a dark red tank-top that had orange and yellow flames that looked like it would jump off of the frabic at any moment. She wore no footwear and had her black hair in a long braid that bounced against her back because of the light summer breezes.

"It looks like Wynter Delfinah has picked her Pokemon for the tournament, and as you know the Pokemon trainers choose in their first fight is the choice they have to stick with for the entire contest," the announcer explained.

Wynter reached into her tote bag and took out an Ultra Ball, she smiled at Jax and merely opened it. It was uncommon for trainers just to unleash their fighter without throwing the sphere onto the ground, which I called 'the dramatic effect.'

I didn't need the light to fade from the shape of my enemy to know what Pokemon it was. It hovered above the ground, only having a single pair of limbs which was the arms that extended quite a ways from its body. Even when I could see its appearance the sun reflected off of its metallic body making it difficult to see, but the tournament's voice had no problem filling the humans on what it was.

"And Delfinah has chosen Darnell, her Metang, a very well known Pokemon here in Slateport!" Ty exclaimed, the audience clapped and cheered encouragingly at this.

I stared at the steel/pyschic, admiring its poker face. "Lets rumble," I hissed.

"Jax's level twenty-five Ivysaur against Wynter's level twenty-four Metang, this should prove to be enticing folks," Merfyn Ty said happily. "The Ivysaur will have a speed advantage, but will this be enough to beat a partial pyschic, which is one of its weaknesses?"

"Elric, Sleep Powder!" Jax called out first.

"And Rivalen does not hesitate to grab the chance to make the first move," Ty said.

I inhaled deeply, the large bulb on my back slightly opened up and I shook violently to unleash the blue substance. The powder fell near the Metang, being sucked into its lungs, atleast I'm assuming it has lungs, and beginning to feel the effects.

"Oh! It seems the wind is favoring Rivalen today!"

The corners of Jax slightly curled into a satisfied smile, but he knew this fight had just begun and Wynter might have a few tricks that could turn the tables.

"We've bought some time, Elric," my partner whispered, but raised his vocie enough for me to hear. "Use Leech Seed!"

Before my bulb could fully close, three small seeds popped out and planted themselves near Darnell. They quickly sprouted, their vines wrapping around the Metang. I waited for the free health I would recieve, but it never came. I glance at my partner with confusion, Jax only returned the same expression as my own.

"Oh! And Ivysaur's Leech Seed deals no damage!" Ty exclaimed.

The audience roared in delight, stomping on the steel bleachers to show their support for Wynter and her Metang.

"Darnell, Sleep Talk!" Wynter shouted.

The Metang began mumbling, its body jerking and snapping the vines off of its body with ease. Dark violet waves rolled off of its surface and came torwards me.

I did not need to hear a 'dodge it!' to run out of the attack's path, but the waves seemed to have crawled into the my head creating massive damage. My eyes snapped shut and I let out a painful cry until the harm faded away.

"And Darnell's Confusion deals super effective damage to the Ivysaur! It looks like Wynter might win this!" the announcer yelled.

"Elric, we still have a good chance," Jax murmured. "Use Razor Leaf."

I gritted my teeth and let hundreds of leaves soar out of my bulb and head for my foe, hitting it in all directions although harming it little.

"Rivalen refuses to lose hope, but the grass-type attacks are barely making the snoozing Metang flinch," Ty said.

Wynter's lips curled into a wide smile, thinking very highly of the situation.

I realized that the doll-like eyes of Darnell were no longer being effected by the Sleep Powder I threw at it when this started; I was sure that I was in for a cruel beating.

"Darnell, Psychic!" Wynter commanded.

My mouth went open and I watched, horrified, the Metang readying for a move that it probably learned from a TM. I closed my eyes, preparing for a world of hurt to ensue.

"Folks, this could finish off the poor Ivysaur," I heard Ty explained.

But before I could feel a thing, I felt myself being sucked into a familiar place.

"Oh, wait! Jax Rivalen has thrown in the towel and retreated. The victor is Wynter Delfinah!" Merfyn Ty shouted, as the audience broke into applause.

I felt Jax walk out of the arena and the noise from the cheering decreasing. My sphere was still clutched in my partner's tight grip.

"We both knew very well that with type pyschic attacks in a row would have finished you, and I believe with the odds stacked against us I would rather you wouldn't get hurt," Jax whispered. "Winning. So many believe it is everything, but it matters not."

It matter not.

Those words had glued themselves in my sore mind as I smiled. I was grateful I had such a thoughtful partner that did not let worldly thing get to his head, that is what I liked most about him.

____________________________________________________________________________________

**I have created a system for my Pokemon battles, the information is in my profile if you are curious to know how I work it.**

**I must admit I slacked off in my first chapter, not adding as much detail as I should've. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I will be sure to try and write the next as soon as possible.**

**Also, there will not be any repeats of characters in previous chapters. These 493 one-shots give me the chance to experiment with different characters, personalities, and appearances.**

**~Quin.**


	3. 003:The Dissimilar Tot

**"The Dissimilar Tot"**

As the sun dragged itself into the sky among the clouds, Pokemon Square began bustling with life. The stalls were being opened up, the peculiar items set across the wooden tables with pricetags, fresh cakes topped with powdered sugar and fruit sat under glass cases, and bright colored stones were laid out on professionally made pillows to show off their value. Swellows, Pidgeots, and Staraptors made their daily routes delivering love letters, newspapers, and packages filled with grandma's cookies and knitted caps.

Among the residents of the Beau Plains there was an odd house that was made out of dark grey stones and the tattered old curtains were tan with smudges of caked in dirt. The mailbox, or what was left of it, was tilting to the left, having no flag or anything to close it.

A Swellow, with a tote bag hanging around its neck, landed on the dirt road and shoved in a single letter into the metal box and walked down to the next house which was only around ten feet away.

Within the house that stood near the cliff there were two figures sleeping on twin mattresses that had been placed next to each other on the wooden floor straight across from the doorway. In the middle of the room there was a circular table that rose only a foot off of the ground, and there were two white mats on each side of it having a strange pattern with purple, blue, light green, and yellow colors spread on it. On one of the sides of the 'beds' there was a large chest containing the two's personal items, food, and clothing, and along the walls there hung three lanterns to serve as light when the sun would set.

One of the figures snored softly with drool dripping out of the side of their gaping mouth and onto the pillow. Green, diamond shaped wings with red along the edges laid on top of the Pokemon's back, its scaley and thick tail was laying over the bare rear of it.

After another grumbling noise from the dragon-type the other Pokemon's blue lids slowly opened up, revealing red bloodshot eyes that were tired from an awful night of rest. The large plant located on his back shook, the bud began opening and a huge pink flower with yellow spots now sprung to life.

"I should consider getting a different roommate," the Venusaur muttered under his breath.

He grabbed a hand full of his blanket and flipped it over on top of the sleeping Flygon, who had _no_ covering. The Venusuar stumbled onto his feet, but not quite making it as he landed back on the mattress, now rubbing his very sore butt.

The Flygon's head raised off of the pillow, his own eyes barely parting when the grass-type made the sudden loud noise that was right next to him.

"Did you have to wake me up so early, Umi?" the dragon yawned, stretching out his aching limbs and getting ready to fall back into slumber.

"How come the one who is snoring manages to wake up other people but not themself?" Umi snapped, irritated. "Come on, wake up. There'll be no more jobs left if we don't hurry to Pokemon Square, Ryu. So get up, get dressed and grab breakfast."

"Okay, okay," Ryu mumbled, crawling on all fours across Umi's bed and to their chest. He unlatched it, began tossing their clothes over his shoulders and onto the floor.

Both were rather in a bad mood when waking up in the morning, but after they slipped on their apparel and filled up on Watmel and Pamtre berries, they managed to fight off the urge to crawl back in bed and step outside.

"See? Everyone's headed to Pokemon Square all ready," Umi pointed out, as Ryu looked inside their mailbox and watching their neighbors head out of their own homes and traveling South on the dirt road.

"Hey, check it out. I think we actually got a request," the Flygon said, holding up the letter to show it to his partner. Written on the front of it in terrible scribbling words was 'to umi and ryu.'

A 'request' was actually a job for rescue teams or explorers that was sent directly to them by mail or other means. Umi was sbecause they never recieved a job like this, they always had to go to the post office and look at the bulletin board.

"With grammar like that it must've been a child who sent this," the Venusuar assumed.

"Probably," Ryu agreed, tearing open the envelope and slipping the folded piece of paper out. He flattened it out and looked at it with a confused expression, saying, "There's no name of who sent it."

Umi glanced down at the request in the Flygon's hands.

_There's a lost babe, I need you, Umi and Ryu, to fetch it._

_Client:_

_Objective:Find the missing infant._

_Place:Murky Cave._

_Reward:???_

"You're right, they left it blank... And this is actually in good hand writing and grammar unlike on the envelope. There must be more than one applicant," the plant Pokemon stated. "Plus they didn't put down the reward."

"Who cares about the reward?! There's an infant in Murky Cave!" Ryu exclaimed angrily, smacking his partner upside the head. "How dare you think of an accolade!"

"Ow! Jeez, calm down. We'll do it, just don't hit me anymore," he grumbled.

~ * ~

After Ryu safely stuffed the request into his pants pocket they gathered whatever gold coins they could locate under the mattresses and the table, they also looked thoroughly through their belongings in the chest, turning out pockets of shirts and sweatpants. They dumped whatever items that would be needed for what awaited in Murky Cave, and walked South torwards Pokemon Square to pick up anything else that they didn't have.

Once their matching brown hiking boots -they were purcahsed by Ryu in a 'buy one get one free' sale- were wet with morning dew, they stepped on the cobbled street of the assiduous active Pokemon town. Only five minutes into their visit of the market, Umi was pulling Ryu away from a shop called 'Practical Tricks and Jokes' by his tail, although the slick scales made it hard for the Venusaur to keep his grip on the Flygon.

"Ooh! Their whoopie cushions are half off!" Ryu pointed out.

"I thought you already _had_ one of those," Umi growled through clenched teeth.

"Not after Felyse sat on it."

"You put a tiny whoopie cushion on a Snorlax's bed and expected the thing could survive to humiliate Felyse?!" the Venusuar yelled, completely shocked.

"Well, yeah..."

"Why are you so obsessed with contriving tricks upon people?" Umi sighed.

"Subsequent to three years as a team and you still haven't figured it out?"

The two males looked away from each other's gaze and met the eyes of a Delcatty that stood with her arms folded across her sleeveless purple shirt and her eyebrows up with humor in her expression as she watched the two arguing. She scanned the Venusaur and Flygon carefully, taking in their grubby. appearance.

Umi wore a pair of tan capris that were being held up by a dark red leather belt with a silver buckle that has the shape of a crescent moon, along with a sleeveless navy blue turtle-neck (which had a large hole in the back so his flower could stick out) and a red and blue checkered headband. Although, his clothes were old and had once been filled with holes, but he had mended them back together to make the apparel last longer. The Venusaur had admitted to Ryu that he had stole the headband when a child, which he regretted because the Flygon punched him in the face, shouting, "You larcener!"

Ryu's appearance was quite odd in comparison to Umi's, he wore jeans that had one pantleg where it was torn off up to his thighs, along with a grey t-shirt and a pale red vest where half of the collar was missing. His own clothing was caked with dirt as was his scaley body, which was caused by the rough fights he got into when on a job.

The Flygon yanked his tail away from Umi's hands and met the Delcatty's grey eyes that were filled with amusement. "G'morning Daffodil," he greeted.

"I didn't see you near the post office; I take it you actually recieved a job?" she assumed, ignoring Ryu's acknowledgment.

"Perhaps it is none of your business?" the grass-type suggested, which he recieved a smack to the side of his head from his partner.

"Didn't you mother ever teach you to be nice to girls?" Ryu said with annoyance. "But, to answer your question: Yes, we did get a request."

Daffodil was a well-known Pokemon, always likes to know what's going on in certain situations that peeks her interest. She was seen to be a proud Delcatty, smart in battles and had a way with words, kicking up her milk-white skirt that went to her knees which she used to tease the males and get what she wanted and when she needed it. Daffodil's wrists and ankles were adorned with gold braclets and her fingers were decorated with priceless rings (although her wedding finger was untouched.) Her sky blue blouse covered her cleavage, while her purple fur that surrounded her neck like a scarf, and you could hear Daffodil coming from a distance with her silver high heels that beat across specific surfaces.

"I suppose your prim nose felt a disturbance in the air when we didn't head for the bulletin board like everyone else?" Umi prodded, he was once again hit by Ryu.

"Stop being so afflictive!"

"Stop assaulting me!"

"You both act like brothers, or a very strange couple," Daffodil stated. "Now, as to why I am here, I'm curious to see what the job is about."

"Oh, there's a lost-"

Several vines shot out of the Venusaur's flower and wrapped themselves around Ryu's head, pinning him to the ground before he could inform Daffodil of anything.

"We best be going, the day's gonna to be ahead of us before we know it," Umi hissed through clenched teeth. He dragged the Flygon out of Pokemon Square's south entrance, passing various inquiring pairs of eyes as they heard the muffled yells of the ground/dragon-type.

~ * ~

"You are too favorable for your own good, you _do_ know that, correct?" Umi pointed out, his hands had been shoved inside his capri's. "Do you have any idea what Daffodil would do if you told her what our request was about?"

"Say 'Oh, have fun,' then leave?" Ryu guessed, rolling his eyes.

"No, because there's no client name and no mention of a reward she would follow us to see what was going on. And I'm not in the mood for some prudish Delcatty, who spends every waking moment shoving her nose in places where it's not wanted, following us around," he snarled, folding his arms across his chest.

The flygon paused before saying another word. "That was coarse. What exactly do you have against Daffodil? Did she pull your pants down in middle-school, or something?"

"No, but you sure did."

"Ah, the good ol' days. So many folks to prank, so little time."

"Pfft, like you ever stopped after the 'good ol' days' ended. Now, lets get in there and do what we have to do."

They stood in the middle of a thick forest, in front of a large mountain where a small entrance lead to Murky Cave. Moss that soaked up the water from the morning's mist and webs camouflaged the doorway into the depths of the mountain. By now the sun was high up in the sky, turning the day into the mid-afternoon, although the light couldn't push through the tree's many branches making it seem to the two Pokemon that it was late in the evening.

Blues flames erupted from Ryu's mouth, burning away the sticky substance and then the fire disappeared. The flygon stepped into the dark first, vanishing from Umi's sight.

"Hold on, can you light this lantern?" the venusaur asked, digging out an oil lamp from the treasure bag.

"Ow! Crap, that really hurt..." Ryu hissed from inside.

"What's wrong?"

"The ceiling is _really _low; we'd better watch where we're going in here," he replied, probably rubbing his sore head.

Before Umi could say anything more light blue flames danced through the air from where the flygon was and lit the lantern Umi was holding, beginning to burn away the oil inside of it. The grass-type held the light ahead of him as he stepped into the narrow tunnel, keeping his head low and soon seeing Ryu nursing a purple bruise that was emerging on his scaley forehead.

"You lead this time," Ryu growled, irritated.

Umi grinned as he slipped past his partner and began to walk through the corridor, his boots sinking into the muddy earth, leaving behind very noticeable footsteps. He heard the flygon following him closely, muttering about 'stupid caves' under his breath.

The two never said who was the leader of their team or if there even was one, they just randomly decided who would be the follower and who would be directing the job. Both Umi and Ryu had refused to wear the badge that dignified as to who was the 'chief' of the crew, they had tossed the medal into a pond and never spoke another word of it, they just continued to just refer each other as colleagues.

"You know, I heard there's a gengar who lives here and likes to follow travelers," Ryu said.

"Why do you insist on telling me these kinds of things _after_ we enter the dungeon?" Umi hissed.

"They also say when you feel a chill, it's certain that a gengar is near and it's trying to lay a hex on you."

"Just shut up or I am going to leave you in the dark."

The tunnel then opened up into a large cave with more winding hallways, rocks with blankets of moss and thick cobwebs in the cracks and corners. Umi stepped forward, the blue flames pranced wildly within the glass and slightly lit up the area around them. The two stood silently for a moment, staring at the different directions they would have to choose to go.

"Do you have any suggestions as to which way we should head?" the grass-type asked, heavily sighing.

"Well, since we entered a mountain, we should head to the heart of the cave, atleast that's what the comic books say," Ryu replied.

"Whatever."

As the two pulled their boots out of the grimy mire and walked through the dimly lit darkness, Umi had one of his vines wrapped around Ryu's waist so they wouldn't get seperated. Even with the lantern it was still hard for Umi to know exactly where to go, he began to wish he was a Pokemon with the ability 'Keen Eye.'

~ * ~

For hours it seemed to the two that they physically pulled their feet from the piles of mud they stepped into out so they could continue on their way. They ignored the sleeping Cascoons, used minor attacks to keep the young leveled strays back into the shadows, and kept their negative emotions in check so they would not attract any Shuppets.

"How many floors does that make?" Umi questioned, as they walked down a flight of stairs that was made from black stones which made their footsteps creat an echo around them.

"I think maybe fourteen... But ever since the Confuse Ray from one of the Zubats faded, I've been kinda light headed," Ryu replied.

The two stopped abruptly in their tracks, their noses began wrinkling as a nauseating scent had dared to creep into their nostrils, making their eyes water and burst into a coughing fit.

"What is that?!" the flygon choked, covering his lower-half of his face with both of his claws. "It reeks!"

"A-agreed," hacked Umi, holding his throat with one hand and plugging his nose with the other. "It's gotta be-"

"ARGH! M-more n-newc-com-m-mers," a muk growled, having a hard time parting his sludged lips to keep on talking.

"Yeah, that," the horrified venuasuar sniffed. "And what do you mean by 'more newcomers'? We aren't the first?"

"N-no, th-there is a di-disgusting creat-ture i-in one o-of the p-pits," the muk spat in distaste, giving off more foul fumes along with every word that came out of his mouth.

"It just seems to be in a bad mood, maybe it's not shielding any nest," Ryu whispered to his colleague, hopeful.

"I don't think muk's are known for keeping to one place," Umi breathed in reply. He then noticed the poison-type began trudging past them, as if in a hurry.

"Hey, what's wrong? Why the big rush?" Ryu asked.

"The n-new creat-ture has c-caused K-Kotori to be-become indignant. He i-is g-getting rid of it, s-so we st-strays are l-leaving," he replied, swiftly vanishing into the dark from their perplexed expressions.

"You don't suppose that 'creature' is the infant we may be looking for, do you?" the flygon suggested, turning back torwards their destination.

"It's possible ."

Both their ears and their heads perked up as a sharp cry rang throughout the tunnel they were standing in, the sound was something that was very unfamiliar to them and made chills crawl up their spines, making them violently shake. It didn't take long for their brains to communicate to their limbs to emanate in the direction the keen bawl came from, although the ankle high grime that coated the cave's floor slowed the two until they pressed down staircases until they believed they stood on the last floor of Murky Cave.

"The treble howls are more clearer," Ryu hissed, who was covering his sensitive ears.

Umi beckoned his partner to follow him while putting a finger to his lips when he began hearing a soft, cooing voice that was very near where they were. The crying had stopped, so they walked torwards the utterance. Squeezing out of the room and leaving behind the set of stairs and into a crevice which they barely fit into, Ryu put a hand over his mouth as a cobweb tickled his ears making him silently snicker behind his claws.

Umi let out a sigh of relief as he saw an opening out of the cleft, ignoring Ryu's quiet attempt to contain his guffaw. "Will you-" He was immediately interrupted as the babe's sobbing began to ring throughout the cave and echoed off of the walls.

The two picked up the pace to exit from the inconsiderable space and were glad to be free from the area they were compressed into to after they shoved their way into the wide-open zone where they saw a gengar looking down a pit only a few feet away from them.

"Sleep, stranger, the dreams will eat you away until your mind completely fades into the dusk," the ghost-type murmured, his hands moving in slow motions while his fingers bent in odd angels.

"Nightmare, the apparition is using Nightmare on a tot!" Ryu spat, his lips pulled back and his mouth gaped open as blue flames started erupting torwards the gengar's back.

The gengar had been so deep in its meditation that it didn't pay any attention to Ryu's angry outburst, but it then let out a small shriek as the DragonBreath made contact to its nonphysical being. It deserted its attack against the creature that lay within the gap and jumped backwards, floating in the the air above them while brushing off the fire.

Umi took the chance to rush ahead torwards the pit and shot several vines into the shadows to retrieve the babe, but even with the lantern still burning brightly it became increasingly dark around them. The venusuar roared when he felt a fist collide into his chest, pushing him several feet away from the hole and falling on his rear in front of Ryu.

The l two were soon able to see as the room became brighter, the gengar known as Kotori was standing where Umi was previously, his left hand balled up with a black aura fading from his knuckles. He had hit Umi very hard with Shadow Punch, doing considerable damage to the grass-type.

The venusuar struggled back onto his feet while rubbing his thorax, his expression filled with annoyance while his eyes stared back at the ghost who returned an angered glare.

"I thought heroes weren't supposed to fight dirty," Kotori stated matter-of-factly. "I mean, attacking when my back is turned is quite dastardly."

"Says the guy who is injuring infants!" Ryu sneered.

"An infant, huh? I am not impairing any child; I am merely destroying something that doesn't belong here," the gengar replied.

"Who do you think you are making decisions of what and who does not have the right to be here?!" Umi growled. He then lowerd his voice to a whisper so only the flygon could hear, hissing, "Screw the fighting rules; we'll attack together."

Before Ryu could agree to his words, the venusaur leaped into the air while thinly sharp leaves darted from the base of his flower and soared at the ghost-type. Kotori gritted his teeth and tried dodging the oncoming attack, but failed terribly although the Razor Leaf caused little damage to him. Ryu went along with his partner and became cloaked in shadows, both him and the area around him, making Ryu invisible as he rushed to the gengar, slashing across the eidolon's chest with pinpoint accuracy.

Kotori snarled and didn't need any force to push off from as he plunged to the flygon who was still in midair, the Faint Attack vanishing making him visible again, and forcing him onto the ground on his back. The gengar wrapped his fingers around the scaley throat and cut him in the breast with his own claws almost identical to Ryu's prior move.

Umi landed lightly on the ground and turned to see the gengar crouching over his colleague, his flower started shaking violently letting loose several petals that danced torwards the ghost and hit him continuously.

Kotori clenched his jaw, grabbed Ryu's paws and began using Destiny Bond. "Unendingly use your attack and your friend goes down with me," he advised with a sly smile forming on his face.

"Fat chance, half-wit," Umi scoffed, not ceasing his assault even though he felt very dizzy because of the Petal Dance.

Kotori screeched and backed away from Ryu who was still laying on the cave floor, watching the phantom slowly sinking into the ground.

"I think you killed it."

"I thought gengars' were all ready dead."

"Good point," Ryu assured. "Do you feel alright?"

"I'm just a little vertiginous," Umi murmured, falling onto his knees while his hands held his lightheaded pate.

Ryu digged into their bag and pulled out a light pink, hard berry and slipped it into the venusaur mouth. Soon his partner's status effect faded and he regained his senses, able to get back onto his feet and not seeing his surroundings rapidly spin.

They walked to the pit and Umi, once again, set out several vines and wrapped them carefully around a bundle he felt on the bottom of the hole. Recalling the attachments that were holding a blanket that contained a moving bulge within it. Ryu took the tot from the vines and held it firmly in his arms while Umi uncovered the struggling babe.

"What...the..." the two gasped.

The thing waved two tan fists at their faces, curly brown hair covered the crown of the round head that was placed on little neck that was connected to its bare torse. Small, hazel eyes stared up at the two Pokemon, filled with fear and a sense that it wan't anywhere _near_ home.

"That, my dears, is a human."

The venusaur and flygon were almost close to having a panic attack when the voice had stated that. They looked ahead of them, their mouths gaping as they realized who stood before them.

Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf floated a few inches above the ground, all three looking quite satisfied with themselves which caused Ryu and Umi to start wearing confused features along with their already awed expressions.

"W-what is going on? Am I still asleep?" the flygon stuttered.

"It would be very awkward if we made the mistake to appear in your mind rather then in the actual world," Azelf murmured.

"But Celebi was correct in its prediction; a human child has appeared here. You two were so kind to ensure its safety," Mesprit said gratefully, making its way to them.

"Before we leave, if you were curious to know Azelf was the once who had the horribly awful handwriting," Uxie informed them.

Azelf looked away sheepishly.

"Wait, you're leaving? What are we supposed to do with...this _human?_" Umi questioned with urgency. "What about the reward?"

"According to the time-traveler it is you who looks after the little one," Mesprit answered, peering at the babe with a smile on its pale pink face.

"Wait, what?!" the venusaur and flygon said, alarmed by the declaration.

"Do not heed any worry. Soon the girl will find a way home with your help," Uxie said quietly before disappearing.

Azelf joined the other legendary in vanishing from their sight, while Mesprit stayed and looked encouragingly at the Pokemon.

"Will you please take care of her for the time being?" it requested, also fading away.

"They don't leave us a lot of options," Ryu sighed, staring back at the babe who was now snuggling neatly into his arms.

"Or answers," Umi added. "But, i- I mean, _she_ is sort of...cute. Maybe it won't do much harm just to watch over her while supposedly she'll find a way back to where ever she came from."

The two partners pondered over this thought while gazing at the now sleeping dissimilar tot who began to drool out of the corner of her snoozing mouth. Ryu and Umi then looked at each other and nodded in agreement, although they still had doubts of their decision to raise a being that they knew nothing about.

____________________________________________________________________________________

**By the way, I find doing pokemorphes for the PMD stories much easier rather then the regular Pokemon body. It's just how I am. Also Pokemorphes (in PMD) equal Pokemon, it's my rule.**

**100kallibur, sure you can, I don't mind. Besides, don't bother messaging me because I am not allowed to recieve and send messages for now.**

**WarriorSwift, that's what happens when it is 12:30 am and I am too tired to read the chapter for errors like that, but I managed to fix it after reading your review. Thanks for telling me.**

**Fuzzball-de-goof, I will be happy if I do manage to write all 493 one-shots, and if I can keep them interesting, too.**

**Sorry the battle in the previous chapter was horribly short, but I wanted to post Ivysaur's one-shot before crawling in bed.**

**Thank you for all of the compliments.**

**~Quin.**

**Pokemon Quiz!**

**Name the legendary Pokemon that have genders.**

**The answer will be in the next chapter; you all have till then.**

**Answer in your reviews! New question in each chapter! **


	4. 004:The Crushed Dreams of Molly Hadley

**004. Charmander "The Crushed Dream of Molly Hadley"**

_That night all I could do was lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, wondering what the next day would hold for me. Tomorrow was the thirteenth day of June, which would be my eleventh birthday. Right now I kept on picturing what my parents would give me, and yesterday, when they went out with some friends and left me with Jamie to babysit me, I snuck up to my parents' bedroom and found five presents hidden in their walk-in closet, all neatly wrapped with shiny pink paper and purple ribbons. I was so excited that I was almost convinced that my thoughts would burst out of my head like fireworks!_

_Tonight I was imagining myself opening each gift until I came to the last one that was a small, square box that contained what I had always wanted: my very first Pokemon._

_A kid's very first Pokemon was something that everyone talked about in school, and if your parents promised you one in a certain time in your life, it was then that you were considered to no longer be a child anymore. When my parents sat me down on a Thursday (which was my favorite day ever, second to tomorrow, of course!) and told me that one of my gifts would a Pokemon I became one of the coolest students at school. My peers would often come up to me and ask me what Pokemon I would be getting, and I would calmly say 'A Squirtle, of course!' And that's what my first Pokemon would be, I was sure of it._

_When my eyes finally shut and my mind was filled with dreams of my Squirtle and me, I woke up as soon as the sunshine peered through my curtains. For the first few hours of the day my hopes became increasingly higher, and as my best friends started to arrive I was completely convinced that I was going to receive my Squirtle and that nothing could change that. _

_After all of my guests had arrived to witness me receiving my first Pokemon, we all ate lunch together - my friends at one table and the adults at another - and then my mom served a cheese cake with ripe strawberries on top. When everyone was finished eating we all found spots in the living room to sit down where I could be open my gifts in front of my somewhat restless audience._

_My father had gone upstairs and came back down with all of the presents that I had seen only the day before, and sat them all carefully on the coffee table in front of me as if they were precious jewels. I looked at each gift, deciding which one to pick up first, knowing immediately that I would save the small box for last. _

_The first one I chose was flat and rectangular, containing a red and black checkered dress with a matching black coat, which I assumed would only be allowed to be worn on certain days such as Christmas and Thanksgiving. With a satisfied smile I discarded the dress and coat and grabbed the second parcel which was a square box containing several thick books that contained my favorite fairytales. Again thanking my mom and dad, I grabbed the third gift that was a plastic, zipped bag with nail polish that would last for atleast several months. After carefully putting the bag back onto the table, I let my hand linger towards the small box, watching my eager friends' glance excitedly, but then I took the large rectangular box that had a glass doll laying on red paper. I took the doll out, fascinated by her baby blue dress with white lace, and stood her up on the coffee table, remembering that I had seen this doll in Celadon City at the shopping mall with my dad._

_Now came the moment that both my friends and I have been waiting for. I was no longer was calm and collected, but now I was increasingly excited as I held the last gift in my hands. After I had taken off the purple bow and the pink paper, I stared at the white box and carefully removed the lid, uncovering a dark red sphere with green etchings that went all the way around the device._

_Taking the Cherish Ball in my shaking hand, my mom urges me to release the creature within it, but I was all ready heading for the backyard that I barely even heard her. As soon as I was standing out on the lawn, and my friends had gathered on the porch, each of their faces gleaming with curiousity and jealousy. And then, I threw the device, being temporarily blinded by the sudden bright light. When the flash faded, I was overcome by shock at first and then rage started to boil up._

_In front of me stood a lizard that was reared up on its hind legs, its orange scales shining in the sun, and its large blue eyes gazing at me with a questioning look. And at first it didn't register that before was a Charmander, and not the beloved Water-type that I had wanted so dearly, but when the Pokemon took a step torwards me and let out a small cry out joy I exploded into a fit of tears and rage._

_I had grabbed the nearest rock and threw it at the creature, yelling as I did. I then ran back into the house, retreating into the safe sanctuary that was my room, and stayed there even when my mother stood outside the door, at first saying that I shouldn't have acted that way, then explaining how she would make it up to me. _

"Molly! Snap out of it!" Ben shouted, getting slightly impatient by the sound of his tone.

I blinked looking from my Squirtle that was standing in front of me, who was waiting for my orders, and back to the Pokemon that Ben had called out.

The Charmander looked at me with a hatred that I had never encountered, and as we stared at each other I came to realize that it was the same Charmander that I was given on my birthday. I became flooded with guilt as the Fire-type bared its teeth as if telling me he had never forgiven me, and I knew that his anger was justified.

"I...I give up."

**I cannot believe you people actually liked the first three one-shots I wrote! They were terrible! And I don't really like the ending to this one because I couldn't figure out what I wanted Molly to say at the end, but I just went with what you just read.**

**Munia, I'm not sure. It depends how far I can get with what I've all ready got, plus I haven't got to play either Black or White, but you never know!**

**~ Quin.**

**Pokemon Quiz!**

**Question: Name the Legendary Pokemon that have genders! (I am not including the Legendaries from Black and White)**

**Answer: The only Legendaries that have a gender are Latias, Latios, Heatran, and Cresselia. Yes, this includes the PMD series. Why? Because when they join your team, you can see that the Legendary Pokemon that are not listed above do not have genders. I know that in cutscenes they will refer Celebi as a 'girl' or Uxie as a 'guy,' but that still doesn't mean they have a gender. I know this is true in Explorers of Darkness, Time, and Sky, but I am not sure in Blue or Red.**

**New question!**

**What one of the earliest Pokemon games was never released outside of Japan?**


	5. 005:Defender of Mankind

**Just giving you guys a quick warning that there's some cursing in this one, not a lot but some. Hopefully you won't mind. I'm may be bumping the rating up because of upcoming stories I will be producing, but I will let you know if there's anything you should be concerned about before each chapter.**

**Enjoy!**

**005. Charmeleon "Defender of Mankind"**

I stretched out my arms and hung my head back, inhaling the smoke in the air. "Ah, what a sweet fragrance," I sighed.

Blades of dry grass and the leaves of bushes curled in on themselves as small flames slowly licked at them. Even the ground itself was scorched to where only dirt and pebbles were left, making the surrounding land seem barren other than the few trees that were still standing and anything else that hadn't yet become consumed by fire.

I blinked in the sunlight, watching three figures making their way across the plains towards me as I carefully played with a blank disc with my free hand, patiently waiting for the small group to come closer.

"What did you do?" a voice called out in anger.

My lips pulled back at the remark, revealing a toothy grin. "Do you like my work?"

A thin Dragonair, wearing a white skirt and shirt and had silver bracelets adorning her ankles and wrists, stood the closest, obviously being the 'leader.' She wore a disgusted expression and her eyes searched for my gaze. But I ignored her since my attention was currently drawn to her two companions.

A Squirtle stood to the Dragonair's right, his firm stance revealing his overconfidence. The Squirtle was obviously quite young, wearing a pair of shorts and a loose red shirt with a tan cap covering his head. The other Pokemon, whom I immediately recognized, was a Growlithe named, coincidently, Growly. He was only wearing a pair of pants, that had been ripped up to the knees, which was normal for his fire-based species.

"Aeron, you surprise me!" I exclaimed while standing up. "I always thought you were the type to refuse to bring others to join in on our fun."

"You sick bi-"

"You call this fun?" Aeron shrieked, interrupting Growly's angry remark. "This isn't a game, Zandra, you've hurt and even...you've even killed others!" she said, taking several steps towards me, her bracelets dancing against her smooth scales and glistening in the bright sunlight.

"Growly, you were about to say something naughty, weren't you?" I said smiling, completely disregarding Aeronwen's words. "You shouldn't talk like that, you just might make your dear old mum roll in her grave."

"AHHHHH! I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" Growly screamed, his body being engulfed in fire as he leaped across the ground.

I didn't even flinch as a brightly-colored shield suddenly appeared around me, and Growly collided right into it, quickly being sent flying from the impact. I started laughing as Growly landed in the dirt probably around fifty feet away. I let the shield die as I shoved my fists into my jean's pockets.

"You should be more careful!" I shouted at the Growlithe who was still recovering from his stupid mistake.

"Growly!" Aeron's eyes went from her fallen comrade back to me. "Wave, go help him," she whispered through gritted teeth as she faced me again.

Her order was only met with the Squirtle launching a large orb that flew towards my head. I quickly leaped out of the way but once the orb went right past me it curved around and started to head right back at me. I heard Wave gasp when multiple images of myself stood across the path of the orb, and when it came into direct contact with one of my copies the orb vanished.

"Ooh, where did you learn to use Gyro Ball, little Wave?" I asked, folding my arms across my chest as my images moved around me in a protective formation. "Hey Aeron," I looked over at the Dragonair who was once again telling Wave to go help Growly," why did you bring such a low-leveled Pokemon with you to come after me? Even you should know that that was a stupid thing to do."

Aeron, after seeing that Wave went after the Growlithe, turned to face me. "Zandra, you don't remember do you?"

I blinked, a bit confused by her reply.

"You had no idea the impressions you made back then, how respected you were, how much everyone thought of you." Aeron's eyes glimmered with tears at every word she spoke.

"Oh, don't get all teary-eyed on me! Besides, am I supposed to remember everyone I've ever met?" I sneered. I looked down at the ground, flipping over a small rock with my foot, thinking to myself as Growly and Wave were headed back towards us.

"Oh... Oh!" My head snapped up and I pointed at the Squirtle. "Do you have a brother?"

"I _had_ a brother" the boy replied. His hands curled up into fists. "But you...you..." Wave's voice choked as he tried to contain himself of his emotions.

"Zandra, you have no idea the damage you cause and how many are affected by it!" Aeronwen shouted, as she positioned herself to prepare to attack. But I was already one step ahead of her.

I leaped into the air and headed straight down, leaving my 'clones' behind to fade, digging at incredible speed into the ground's core. I pushed the soil easily out of my way with my long claws as I heard several shouts, one in particular was louder than others (I correctly assumed it being Growly's). I began to dig upward, heading toward the area Aeronwen had been standing. I inhaled deeply then burst through the ground, daylight hitting my orange scales as my claws began glowing and giving off a deep blue aura. I slashed at Aeronwen's back, her screaming bringing a deep pleasure that I drank in like wine.

The Dragonair, having been caught off guard, jumped away from me, almost landing on the ground. She shifted around, her lips wide open as a light blue wave headed torwards me, its waves distorting the air around it as it moved.

I summoned one last Protect, letting the Dragon Pulse die away and jumping to the side to avoid Wave's Ice Beam that crashed into the ground. Upon seeing Growly become, once again, enveloped in flame and head for me, I relaxed the muscles in my arm, patiently waiting as Growly only got closer and closer. And as Aeronwen shouted for the Growlithe to back off, I released my fist into Growly's chest when he was near, letting it collide into his rib cage where his heart resided.

I clutched the Growlithe's shoulder with my other hand, holding his damaged body close to mine. As he began to emit a bloodcurdling scream I gently let him sink to his knees, his hands grasping his chest while his body doubled over in pain. I just stood there, enjoying the Growlithe's anguish like a mother would enjoy the sight of her newborn child.

But, like all things, the lighthearted moment was ended abruptly when Aeron slammed her body into mine. But as our bodies soared through the air I grapped the Dragonair by her arm, and feeling my arms almost swell as my muscles were invigorated with strength, I twisted my lower body and pushed off the ground. While still holding Aeronwen I threw her down, and when I landed I approached the Dragonair, my claws glowing darkly.

"Hey, Aeron," I whispered, scratching her ankle with my foot's hooked nail. "I hope this hurts as much as they say it usually does." Before Aeronwen could glance up at me I raised my hand and sliced through her back, my claws not leaving a single mark as they turned transparent when touching her.

I walked away from Aeron, not staying to appreciate her agony since my attention immediately turned to the Squirtle who was still standing out in the field, completely unharmed and completely shocked by the turn of events.

"What? Did you think just because there was more of you that I couldn't win?" I shouted, my voice being carried across the empty plains.

Wave didn't even reply, he was looking past me at Aeronwen, who seemed to be trying to win back my attention by calling me. Ignoring her, I continued to stroll right past Growly who was still holding his chest.

"What was your bother's name, Wave?" I asked, gleefully watching the horror on Wave's expression grow more fiercely at every step I took.

The Squirtle stumbled over his own feet, almost falling backwards until I grabbed his wrist and pulled him back up, bringing his face close to mine. I could easily see how his confidence from before ceased to exist.

"Zandra!" Aeron shouted.

"Now, what was his name?" I asked again.

"Zandra!"

"I-I'm n-not g-g-gonna..." The Squirtle fumbled over his own words almost as badly as he did with his feet.

"Zandra!"

I could feel my own blood boil as my patience started to slip. "Hey," I patted Wave's cheek with the back of my hand, "what was his name?"

"Leave him alone!"

I looked away from the frightened face of the Squirtle and met the deadly gaze of Growly, who had managed to get on his feet but was still hunching over, still obviously hurting from the blow he received earlier.

"Now, you are in no state to be standing around, or for that matter threatening me," I warned waving my finger at him disapprovingly.

"Shut up," Growly snarled, slowly trying to make his way over to where I stood. "Just shut up you disgusting bitch!" He took another step before collapsing on his knees, Growly balanced himself with one paw while the other held his side.

I continued to watch Growly whimper as I strutted over, overshadowing him as I stood over the helpless Growlithe. "You see, as I mentioned just a moment ago you are in no position to be threatening me, okay?" I whispered. "Now, do you see this?" I asked, holding up a smooth, grey stone about the size of my palm that was tied around my neck. "Do you know what this is?"

When Growly didn't answer I began to approach Wave again, wiping off a smudge of dirt off of the stone and showing it to Wave.

"This is a very peculiar thing; it prevents any Pokemon from evolving if they keep it close. Do you know why I would hold such a thing?"

"Zandra, stop it!" the Dragonair pleaded, only standing a few feet away from me.

"I BET AERON KNOWS WHY!" I shrieked, causing the Squirtle to flinch away at my sudden outburst. "Oh you bet she does! And while she knows the reason why she ignores it because she's the type of person that likes to ignore problems!"

I walked over to Aeron, grabbing a hold of Wave's shell and dragging him with me. I sneered at Aeron with hatred, not even bothering anymore to hide my distaste for her. I hung my arm over Wave's neck, tapping my claws on his shell, listening quietly to his quickening heart beat as I stared at Aeron.

"Can I tell you a little story, Wave? Hm? I'm sure Aeronwen won't _mind_," I growled into the Squirtle's ear.

"Zandra-"

"Interrupting is rude, Aeron!" I snapped at her, letting my claws make their way to Wave's bare neck and gently grazing his smooth skin. "Now," I began, "once upon a time there was a daddy Charizard and a mommy Charizard, who decided to have a baby. That baby turned out to be a girl. Now, can you guess what they named her?"

Wave stared up at me in horror and looked over at Aeronwen, who could only stand there helplessly, which made it all the more enjoyable for myself.

"They named her Zandra! Do you know why? Well, because these certain Charizards were all about expecting a certain something from their baby, something they desperately wanted to be proud of. And that name...meant something to them." I sighed, resting my palm against the back of the Squirtle's neck, his thick sweat seeping through my fingers. "But it wasn't so bad for the little girl, for that name only started out as an idea to her mommy and daddy, something that they thought about but didn't take action on. So, the small family lived happily for a while, at least until a certain, stupid someone decided to show up."

I spat out my last few words like there was a bad taste lingering in the back of my throat, and you could say there was at a certain extent. When I saw that Aeron was about to say something I squeezed Wave's neck until she saw him flinch, making the Dragonair immediately shut her mouth. I continued on, easing my grasp on Wave when I was satisfied that Aeron wouldn't dare to interupt.

"Now that certain, stupid someone started to fill the heads of the daddy and mommy Charizards' with things like how their baby girl could fulfill their wishes. And that got them back to thinking about how much they expected from their baby girl, about how much _they_ wanted, and how much _they_ wished for!"

"This isn't my fault," Aeron hissed. "You had a choice-"

"There was no _choice!_" I screamed. "You took me and made me into what they wanted! You made me into their little hero, into something they could be proud of, into something I didn't want. But I didn't say anything when I saw how happy they were when they heard how their daughter was respected across lands, how my _name_ brought joy to others and added pride to _my_ _PARENTS!_ And every time you took me away from my family to go on another 'rescue mission,' praising how important I was, you only fed their obsession...and my hatred."

Now shaking with fury, I slowly exhaled, trying to calm myself. And seeing as how Aeron was still standing there without saying another word, I chuckled, feeling more relaxed.

"You know, Wave, there's only so much a person can take," I said. "Can you guess how long it took me to go over the edge?" While smiling at Aeron, I whispered, "Well, once I found out about how much daddy and mommy couldn't wait for me to become a Charizard, since I was only one more step away, that was when I finally had enough."

"Zandra," Aeron pleaded, apparently once again on the brink of tears.

"Don't," I warned. "Don't _fucking_ say my name ever again. And Aeronwen, this encounter may have been fun, but next time you decide to come after me I am going to fucking kill you."

I pushed the Squirtle away from me, and began to walk away from them. Taking in the fresh air that was now blowing across the burnt plains while I held the stone that was around my neck, stroking it as if it were more precious than the heart pumping blood throughout my body.

Wave put a hand to his throat as he watched the Charmeleon walk away, the Charmeleon who took away his brother and didn't even care to remember it. He stared up at Aeron, who seemed to be deep in thought. "What...what does 'Zandra' mean?"

Growly stumbled torwards them and stood next to Aeron, leaning on her shoulder for support. He was staring at the retreating figure, his expression easily giving away how much rage he was holding in.

"It means," Aeron whispered, "defender of mankind."

**I am so happy with how this one turned out. I put a lot of effort into it and I really like it. Hopefully you all liked it, too. You can tell I'm playing with fighting and emotional scenes in this chapter. Hopefully I will get better as I progress even more.**

**By the way, in case you were wondering how Zandra took out Growly in one Focus Punch, I made Zandra level 67 while Growly was only level 29.**

**~ Quin**

**Pokemon Quiz!**

**Question: What one of the earliest Pokemon games was never released outside of Japan?**

**Answer: Pocket Monsters Green, or Pokemon Green.**

**New question!**

**In Pokemon Snap, what are the three areas where you find Zapdos, Articuno, and Moltres?**


	6. 006:The Bane of My Existence

**I may not be able to fit all fan characters in, it just depends on the story. I will try though to find a use for all the fan characters I can.**

**.006 Charizard "The Bane of My Existence"**

Justine was smart, a quick-thinker, and a human that not only demanded respect but also gave it to those who deserved it. She was one of the best trainers and she was completely aware of this fact. Justine trained each Pokemon with care and tact, turning them into the most deadly creatures that stepped into an arena. For the most part Justine did not find the need to even command her team, but instead she taught them to understand how to counter whatever opponent they came to face with any means necessary.

Justine was quite the trainer that earned a reputation even before she entered ninth grade, which was the cause of her parents accomplishments. Her mother, a well-known breeder, is most famous for taking many Pokemon off of the endangered species list, including Feebas and Eevee. Her father, an archeologist, is most known for his excavations and contributions to museums around the world.

Justine was born to greatness the moment she inherited her name, Justine Grace Cailean, and she never once rejected what was given to her but used it to the best of her capabilities. She worked hard in return for what her parents had done for her and she did so without hesitation. You question why I speak so highly of this trainer, may be even wondering if I happen to be a part of her team, and I am going to say that I _could_ have been one of her own Pokemon. I _would_ have even been her very first, her very first Pokemon that would have begun the legend that is Justine Cailean, but alas, what could have occurred did not.

His name is Orrin Hiolair and _he _is the trainer that obtained me; the boy that took me from something that could have made me one of the best. Orrin Hiolair is the bane of my existence.

"Well, doesn't that just beat all, folks! Hiolair's Charizard refuses to heed its trainer's commands!" Most of the crowd laughed as the announcer's voice echoed throughout the stadium, but I noticed a few groups of people seemed upset as they cheered for Orrin, trying to offer encouragement.

"C'mon Firion! Why aren't you listening to me? You can take that Corsola with no problems!" Orrin was concerned as he glanced at the people jeering at him. "Use Flare Blitz!"

_Are you mentally deficient? _Firion thought, glaring at the boy he had to call master. _Do you even know what a Corsola is?_

"Rock Blast!"

The Charizard was looking at his pitiful trainer when Firion felt rocks shoot into his back and wings. Firion let out a roar, stumbling over from the pain. Orrin was horrified at the sudden and effective attack from his opponent. When Firion saw that his trainer was holding out his capture device, realizing his intent, Firion turned back to Corsola and charged without hesitation. He raised his claw and slammed it into the water and rock type, performing a flawless Brick Break, causing Corsola to emit a noise that can only resemble screeching.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Hiolair's Charizard attacked without consent and obliterated Caitlyn's Corsola in just one move!" the announcer shouted over the microphone as the spectators watched in awe. "It looks like this victory belongs to Orrin Hiolair!"

The boy was waving at the crowds, a large smile spread across his face, despite the fact that his Charizard was trying to imagine this day was a terrible nightmare. However, Firion knew that nightmares would end eventually while his life would continue this way for many more years to come.


	7. 007:The Desire to be Born Anew

**.007 Squirtle "The Desire to be Born Anew"**

They were always smiling at me, always having happy faces and never being pessimistic even though my situation seemed hopeless. At first I liked the way my parents were acting; it made me forget about the times they argued. Before I turned twelve, before we found out what exactly was wrong with me, my parents fought constantly. Even if I was in the same room as them I could hear them whispering, trying to disguise the fact that they were fighting.

Of course I didn't know what they were always 'discussing,' as they put it, but I knew the main concern was my 'problem.' When I first turned six I started getting sick; rashes would appear all over me, my face would swell up and I could barely see, and I would get a fever. For a long time my parents had to leave work to pick me up from school, take care of me, but normally I would be fine in the next day or two. However, it wasn't long before my parents were having issues with work since they were taking so many days off.

After third grade ended my mother decided to quit her job to devote all of her time to me and my strange affliction. It was the beginning of summer and my dad came home late from work one Thursday evening. He held out a Poke Ball and when I released the Squirtle within it, I became overjoyed. However, after only gently touching the blue skin of the creature I felt my throat collapse and my face begin swelling. My vision was darkened and I could only hear my mother screaming as she held me as my father was talking to the paremedics over the phone.

At the hospital the doctors were baffled; I was apparently the first recorded human to be allergic to Pokemon. I don't even need to touch them to have a reaction, but it's when I come in full contact with one of the creatures air can no longer pass through my lungs because of the swelling.

It's been a few years since then, I am fifteen and I am being taught high school classes through an online program. I make friends in random chat rooms, watch televison so much that I even sit through the dumbass reality shows, and play video games day in and day out. I used to collect plushies of Pokemon but after so many years of doctors promising to help me be able to cope with my alergic reactions I threw them out; they only reminded me of what I had to live without.

Although, still sitting on my computer desk sits a small figurine of Squirtle, something of which I seem to not be able to throw out. I first saw at a garage sale our neighbor was holding. I asked my mother for it because it reminded me of the Pokemon that was supposed to be my starter. For some odd reason, whenever I look at the glass figurine, I don't feel the same loatheness I hold towards the plushies or the other small statues. I even came up with a name for it: Rosie. Not terribly creative nor wonderful, but I like it.

Today marked the beginning of summer, and I mean that it was the first day of June that was over eighty degrees. During summer I actually did enjoy going outside in the backyard to spend time gardening; enjoying the pleasures of being around lifeforms that don't cause me to have an allergic fit. While I was tending to a bed of tulips I noticed a Pachirisu sitting among the flowers, curiously watching me from a safe distance. I put down the trowel I was using to dig up weeds and stretched out my hand.

I waited as the creature came towards me, only around three inches away from my hand. With my other hand I reached in the basket where I kept my tools I grabbed a familiar spray bottle with the label torn off. Keeping the bottle out of sight, but when the Pachirisu was close enough I pointed the bottle straight at its face and sprayed the repel at it. The creature, not anticipating this sort of treatment, ran through the flowers shrieking and vanished under the porch.

I gritted my teeth and went back to my work.

I was standing in the midst of nothing but darkness. I was neither cold nor warm. I was wearing my bedtime apparel but yet I did not have the feeling that I was dreaming. As I walked I felt that I was not moving but that the area around me was moving itself. My head soon became light and a feeling of dizziness swept over me for a moment.

_You have a desire._

I heard the voice from inside my own head and yet all around me. "What are you?" I called back, looking for any sign of another being besides myself.

_What? What an odd yet percise question. _The voice chuckled a bit before giving another reply. _I am the reason for all that exists. _

"You are...?"

_You are a person who has a desire._ _If you wish for a new life I will grant you one, but there shall be a cost._

I wanted nothing more than to be born as someone else, to be able to experience life that was being constricted by who I was now. Of course I was concerned about a cost of requesting my wish, but perhaps if the cost did not outweigh my current burden it would be worth it in the end.

"May I ask what this cost is?"

_I cannot say, because the cost is decided by the desire. The desire I know, but the burden it brings with it shall be decided when the request is granted._

"You do not know all?" I asked, feeling disappointed.

_I know outcomes, possibilities, paths that can be followed based on the decisions made. I cannot say what the cost is because there are too many desires in your heart._

Perhaps I no longer cared about all that I had in my current life, because I truly requested to be born anew and I was prepared to fulfill any cost I had to. When I felt myself slowly float upward, I could not help but ask for my savior's name.

_I am the mother of the one who gave birth to this world and all others._

When I opened my eyes I was met with the blinding light of the sun. What I could understand was that I was laying on my back in a large field, and that there was someone standing over me.

"Hey! You all right?"

I squinted and rubbed my eyes until I could finally see clearly. The voice belonged to a Machop that was wearing a blue scarf around his neck. His face showed concern and confusion as he peered down at me.

"I've never seen a Squirtle this far away from Rub-a-Dub River before. Why are you out here?"

_Say that again!_

"What?"

_Y-you said a Squirtle!_

"I can't understand you. Your mouth is moving but there isn't any words coming out!" The Machop laughed nervously as he spoke.

I crawled onto my hind legs, peering down at my small hands. My new life had been chosen but I could no longer speak. I sighed and gently nodded to the Machop, wondering if Pokemon had any idea what sign language was.


	8. 008: A Loyal Friend

**Contains language. **

**.008 Wartortle "A Loyal Friend"**

"Just hand it over and this will all be over."

"Please let us go!"

"Fork over the fucking bag and I will!"

The three kids were all kneeling on the cement floor, all of them holding tightly onto their belongings. It didn't take much to lure them here and whoop all of their asses, especially when lately Charmander was the esteemed starter. I remembered a year ago when Squirtle was the popular one of the three; funny how it changes so often. The only one of the kids who didn't have the fire-type was the blonde boy with the glasses; he had a Bulbasuar. However, because of the high level difference between his own Pokemon and my Wartortle, the type advantage still didn't matter in the end.

The girl burst into tears, still holding her fainted Charmander in her arms. It wasn't the fact that her sobbing was making me guilty, it was just starting to annoy the hell out of me. The second kid was another boy, who was glaring and arguing with me. I knew that if the situation continued as such I would have to take another step.

"You Rocket shit won't get away with this!" He was throwing insults as if could afford it. I had to admit he had balls, but he lacked any power or intelligence to back himself up.

I saw my Wartortle begin to stare intently at the boy. "Easy Ib, no need to get hot-headed." Even with me saying this she would still probably start to beat the living shit out of the smart-ass boy. "Look, I'm not asking for your Pokemon, ok? Just hand over your bags and I will leave."

"Fuck you!"

The glasses boy put his hand on his friend's shoulder as if to ease his rising temper. "Sam, I think we should just do what she says."

"Yeah Sam, listen to your buddy," I suggested. "He's got a good head on his shoulders." I knew saying this wouldn't even help slightly, but I really couldn't hold myself back. Sometimes I just wanted to be an ass for the fun of it.

Sam yelled and began heading towards me, fists in the air. My sudden motion behind my back and bringing forward a metallic object, which was pointed directly at him, stopped Sam in his tracks. He stared at the magnum I held, showing fear for the first time.

"Back the fuck off." I stayed calm as I spat out my advice, not showing a single emotion as I stared down at him. I saw Ib shifting from where she stood, moving closer to us. Ib knew I only brought out the magnum was when I was getting frustrated with how long things were taking. "Now, you little shitbag, hand over your bags or I will force you to pick between a bullet or an ass-beating from my Wartortle."

"Well, that took way too much time. Funny how they thought I was a Rocket grunt, huh Ib?"

It didn't take much time for Ib and me to be heading out of Viridian City and into the nearby woods. Picking on newbie trainers was easy money, but I didn't do it too often. I figured since Ib was getting stronger and was becoming tired of beating down low-level Pokemon it was time to move on. When we arrived in Pewter City I decided we should take a couple of hours before setting off again. Treading Mt. Moon would not be an easy task and would be better if Ib was well-rested.

We settled in a cheap motel before I assumed it was safe to wait until the next morning to leave. Kids normally get lost so easily in Viridian forest, we would probably be all right for a whole week. Besides, who says we couldn't just stay in our room and order take-out?

"Hey Ib, do you hate me?"

The look she gave me told me everything. _You're a fucking moron._

I laughed. "I'm glad. You've always stuck by me, even when we started doing this. I suppose it doesn't matter to you, huh? Just as long as your with me you're happy."

Ib hopped onto the bed and laid next to me. It wasn't long before I heard the Wartortle's violently loud snoring. I wasn't sure why, but I always thought that Ib would leave me because of what I was doing. But that's not the case, she has never even given the slightest indication she would do so.

"I'm happy they were wrong. You've always been a good friend to me, Ib. I don't know why I let them make me think that if I made bad decisions it would turn you into a terrible creature." I yawned, pulling the covers over the both of us. "Fucking liars."


	9. 009: The Memory of a Brother

**Contains language and the mention of prostitution.**

**009: Blastoise "The Memory of a Brother"**

I sat there amongst the crowd of fans, watching the spectacle of two trainers dueling it out in the arena before the audience. Due to the mass popularity of Hearthome City its colosseum was forever established as a magnificent arena that only a well-known challenger could appear in. The colosseum was an open-roof for the weather effects of certain moves, the stands were raised five-hundred feet above ground so the audience was not harmed during battles, and the challengers had their own platforms that were above ground as well.

The colosseum was filled with the sounds of raging fans from around the world, all adorned with the colors of their region in support of their favored challenger. The seat I took was surrounded by girls of young ages, all wearing white hats and gloves and waving small white flags. Each girl wearing white was clamoring in adoration for Draven Lewis, one of the trainers currently fighting.

Draven Lewis was not known from a specific city or town, so his fans made white flags and wore white clothing after he began only showing up with a signature white jacket and jeans. His hair was dark red and sleeked back with gel. His eyes were a bright blue and his skin smooth and lightly tanned. Draven Lewis' team consisted of a Dragonite, a Lanturn, an Aggron, an Abomasnow, and a Chandelure. His last team member, which was his ace and his very first Pokemon, was his Blastoise. Draven Lewis always ended his battles with his Blastoise, saying that he wanted the glory of finishing the fight to go to his pride and joy.

"And as Odetta returns her fallen Espeon, Lewis withdraws his Chandelure knowing that Odetta is down to her final Pokemon! Looks like the battle is Lewis' as it is now Odetta's last Pokemon against his three. And we all know what that means, folks!" The voices of the audience drowned out the commentator as Draven Lewis sent out his Blastoise onto the field.

The televisions that were positioned all around the colosseum showed Odetta's and Lewis' faces in a split screen. Odetta's expression showed frustration while Draven Lewis was overflowing with confidence at the sign of his third victory of the day. Odetta sent out her Excadrill as Blastoise stood waiting for his adversary.

"Fissure!" Odetta's command echoed out of the loudspeakers throughout the stadium. She did indeed looked desperate, but Odetta knew she atleast had a chance with the use of a one-hit KO.

"With Excadrill's level matching Blastoise," the anouncer said, "will the Fissure be able to hit?"

I believed for a mere moment I saw Draven Lewis' expression on the split screen almost reveal dread, but when the ground opened up and the crevice completely missed Blastoise his smug look completely outshined the sudden fear. Draven Lewis quickly retaliated with his own command, Hydro Cannon. With this one attack Blastoise easily disposed of Excadrill, ending the fight.

Draven Lewis smiled as he looked towards the crowds of his fans and gave his signature thumbs up, which he did whenever he one a battle. The girls around me all cheered his name and waved at him as his platform was lowered to the ground. I stood up and left the colosseum, the appluase and cheering ringing loudly in my ears.

"Are you that reporter from Hoenn?" Draven Lewis was sitting back in a large leather chair, sipping an energy drink while the flat-screen television that was mounted on the wall was broudcasting the current battle in Hearthome colosseum.

I nodded and stepped into the room, closing the door behind me. I noticed an empty beer can in the waste backet amongst the piles of what seemed to be obscene love letters from infatuated fans. "I never knew you drank alcohol."

"I only drink a little before a fight. You don't mind keeping that a secret do you?" He winked at me, reaching over to the table that had trays of food, popping a few grapes into his mouth. "Now, have a seat. I've got about thirty minutes before I'm expected to go out again. So please, have a seat."

I remained standing near the doorway. "Why do you wear white?"

Draven sighed after hearing my first question. "I don't represent any specific place. I tell everyone this!"

"Or are you ashamed of where you come from?" The look of shock on his face expressed he had never been asked this before.

"I fight for myself!" He spat, quickly growing angry.

"Do you know a person by the name of Toby Hadley?"

"I...I don't know anybody-"

"You lying sack of shit!" I screamed at him, while he sat there completely at a loss of speech. "How do you not recognise me? Your own sister!" I watched his expression showing horror as he looked me over. "Do I owe you some sympathy since it's been around six years since you've seen me?"

He grew silent as I watched him, waiting for him to say atleast something. Maybe give a reason as to why he had disappeared, but after a few minutes had passed it seemed he would do nothing but stare at me.

"Why the act? Why would you change your name, your appearance, and stop talking to us after you left?" I could feel my eyes tear up as my emotions got the better of me and I hastily wiped my face dry. "What happened to you?"

"I had to get away." He finally responded at several minutes of silence. "Dad was constantly getting after me, always telling me to keep my grades up, to keep studying, to stop hanging out with my friends. Mom was always hovering over my shoulder!"

I grew almost disgusted at his excuses. "You were the only child that they cared about! Dad was always worried that you wouldn't do well in school like so many other kids, and mom adored you! Oh, poor you! Actually being looked after by our parents while Melissa and I sat in the dark!"

He stood up, his face going red from anger. "YOU TWO HAD IT MADE! Dad never got mad at you for staying out late! Mom never got upset when you weren't wearing the new shoes she just bought you! They never cared!"

"THAT'S RIGHT, THEY NEVER FUCKING CARED!" I screamed back at him. "And you want to know what happened to our parents?! Dad's in the hospital suffering from liver failure because he started drinking a year after you stopped calling us! Mom has been in the hospital for five years because of depression! And do you even care what happened to our little sister? Oh wait, you probably don't give a shit because now you only care about yourself!"

"What happened to Melissa?"

"After mom became a patient at the hospital Melissa was taken into fostering, but she ran away after three months of staying with a family. She ended up in Saffron City, where she started selling herself." My expression grew dark as I spoke, and I felt wetness on my cheeks again. "I picked her up at the police station a few weeks later. She was covered in bruises. Melissa was apparently beaten by a 'client' after she had sex with him."

"I...I'm sorry, I didn't know," he stammered.

"Yeah, I fucking figured." I turned around towards the door and placed my hand on the door knob. "You know, I was always hoping that I wouldn't find you. That you ended up in some horrific accident, and you being dead was why we never heard from you again. Perhaps in a way my brother is dead." I opened the door and before shutting it behind me I said one last thing. "Enjoy the life you've always wanted. I know that you abandoned Toby, but atleast I haven't forgotten him."

I walked away from the room, leaving Draven Lewis behind with the memory of Toby in my mind. I decided that I would tell Melissa that my hunch was wrong, and that our brother was forever lost to us.

I am currently accepting ideas for future short stories. If you have one please send it via private message so I will be able to easily have it on hand. I will also be requesting original characters through private message as well.

I hope you enjoyed reading.


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